Summer Strategic Partnerships Intern

American Oversight is looking for a curious and diligent Strategic Partnerships Intern to join our team for Summer 2024 and help expose government misconduct and threats to democracy. We’re a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog that advances truth, accountability, and democracy by enforcing the public's right to government records.  

From the federal Freedom of Information Act to state transparency laws, we file carefully crafted records requests to extract information from the government, and if officials fail to respond as required by law, our team has the expertise to take them to court and enforce the public’s right to hold our leaders accountable. American Oversight has obtained and published more than one million pages of emails, memos, calendars, text messages, and other records and used those documents to ensure accountability, expose misconduct, and drive significant corrective action at all levels of government.

Working closely with the external relations team, the Strategic Partnerships Intern will support the growth of our stakeholder partnerships with a particular focus on state-based partnerships.

Job Responsibilities

Specific tasks will shift day by day with our work, but in a typical week, you may:

• Conduct research to identify national, state, and local potential partner organizations. 
• Participate in regular planning meetings (typically scheduled during East Coast business hours) to help build our partnerships work and collaborate with other American Oversight staff. 
• Engage in rapid response to share information with partners on current events, developments, and document releases in AO's FOIAs and litigation. 
• Work with the partnerships team to reach out to partner organizations, join calls with American Oversight experts and partner organizations, and assist with incoming partner requests. 
• Draft relevant investigation and legal updates about the latest developments in our investigations to share with partner organizations.
• Compile coverage reports following significant events to keep track of how American Oversight’s partnerships work has had an impact. 
• Attend and participate in coalition meetings with partner organizations. 
• Attend and participate in regular meetings with our broader staff.

Qualifications

Strategic Partnership Interns should possess the following:

• Interest and excitement in meeting new people and willingness to act as an ambassador for our organization and work.
• Strong multitasking and prioritization abilities that will allow you to keep track of multiple projects or issues at the same time.
• Exceptional organizational skills with a commitment to getting the job done the right way, even if it takes longer.
• Excellent writing, research, and oral communication skills, with a focus on accuracy and detail.
• An interest in government accountability and ethics. 
• Familiarity with major issues in national political news and the way they are discussed in mainstream media, as well as the ability to quickly learn new topics as they arise.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office tools.
• Self-motivation and dependability.
• Ability to work collaboratively.
• High degree of professional ethics and integrity.

Additional Information

American Oversight is proudly an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse team. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they have every one of the qualifications listed. We are dedicated to finding the best candidate for the job. Our hiring process is centered on assessing candidates with diverse lived experiences. We would encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of our qualifications described. If you are unsure of whether you meet the qualifications of this position, or how this would be determined, please contact us to discuss your application.

• The hourly wage for this position is $19/hour.
• This is a temporary summary internship that will run for ten weeks over the summer. Start and end dates will be set based on academic calendars and the intern's availability. 
• Interns will be expected to work 32 - 36 hours per week. Interns will coordinate with their supervisor to determine a schedule aligned with the intern’s availability and American Oversight’s core business hours.
• American Oversight is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
• American Oversight is a remote-first organization, and our employees can work from any existing American Oversight state locations (CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IN, MA, MD, MI, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, VA, and WI). Our office in downtown Washington, DC is an optional workspace.

How to ApplyInterested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Please include a resume and cover letter with your application. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, with a first round review on Friday, February 23.